The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts, integrating Greek myths,

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including

Latin literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literatur ...

, Roman art, and religious life as it was experienced throughout the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and sometimes function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary. This is particularly true of those gods belonging to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the era of kings, the so-called "religion of Numa", which was perpetuated or revived over the centuries. Some archaic deities have Italic or Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities. A survey of theological groups as constructed by the Romans themselves is followed by an extensive alphabetical list concluding with examples of common epithets shared by multiple divinities.

Collectives

Even in invocations, which generally required precise naming, the Romans sometimes spoke of gods as groups or collectives rather than naming them as individuals. Some groups, such as the Camenae and Parcae, were thought of as a limited number of individual deities, even though the number of these might not be given consistently in all periods and all texts. Others are numberless collectives.

Spatial tripartition

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

grouped the gods broadly into three divisions of heaven, earth, and underworld: * ''di superi'', the gods above or heavenly gods, whose altars were designated as ''altaria''. * ''di terrestres'', "terrestrial gods," whose altars were designated as '' arae.'' * '' di inferi'', the gods below, that is, the gods of the underworld, infernal or chthonic gods, whose altars were ''foci'',

fire pit The defining feature of fire pits is that they are designed to contain fire and prevent it from spreading. A fire pit can vary from a pit dug in the ground (fire hole) to an elaborate gas burning structure of stone, brick, and metal. Certain cont ...

s or specially constructed hearths. More common is a dualistic contrast between ''superi'' and ''inferi''.

Triads

Archaic Triad The Archaic Triad is a hypothetical divine triad, consisting of the three allegedly original deities worshipped on the Capitoline Hill in Rome: Jupiter (mythology), Jupiter, Mars (mythology), Mars and Quirinus. This structure was no longer clearly ...

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

Quirinus In Roman mythology and Roman religion, religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Ancient Rome, Roman state. In Augustus, Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, Mars (mythology), Mars, and Jupiter (god), Jupiter. Name ...

. *

Capitoline Triad The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...

: Jupiter, Juno,

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

. * Plebeian or Aventine Triad: Ceres,

Liber In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion and Roman mythology, mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron de ...

, Libera, dating to 493 BC.

Groupings of twelve

Lectisternium of 217 BC

A lectisternium is a banquet for the gods, at which they appear as images seated on couches, as if present and participating. In describing the lectisternium of the Twelve Great gods in 217 BC, the Augustan

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

places the deities in gender-balanced pairs: *

– Juno *

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

–

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

– Diana * Vulcan– Vesta * Mercury– Ceres Divine male-female complements such as these, as well as the anthropomorphic influence of Greek mythology, contributed to a tendency in Latin literature to represent the gods as "married" couples or (as in the case of Venus and Mars) lovers. Altar twelve gods Louvre Ma666

''Dii Consentes''

uses the name '' Dii Consentes'' for twelve deities whose gilded images stood in the forum. These were also placed in six male-female pairs. Although individual names are not listed, they are assumed to be the deities of the lectisternium. A fragment from Ennius, within whose lifetime the lectisternium occurred, lists the same twelve deities by name, though in a different order from that of Livy: ''Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Jove, Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo.'' The ''Dii Consentes'' are sometimes seen as the Roman equivalent of the Greek Olympians. The meaning of ''Consentes'' is subject to interpretation, but is usually taken to mean that they form a council or consensus of deities.

''Di Flaminales''

The three deities cultivated by the major flamens were: *

The twelve deities attended by the minor flamens were: * Carmentis * Ceres * Falacer *

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

* Furrina * Palatua * Pomona * Portunus * Vulcan * Volturnus *two other deities whose names are not known

''Di selecti''

Varro gives a list of twenty principal gods of Roman religion: * Janus *

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

* Genius * Mercury *

* Vulcan *

* Sol * Orcus *

* Tellus * Ceres * Juno * Luna * Diana *

* Vesta

Sabine gods

Varro, who was himself of

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

origin, gives a list of Sabine gods who were adopted by the Romans: * Feronia *

* Novensides * Pales * Salus *

Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular thr ...

* Fons * Fides * Ops *

* Vediovis *

* Sol * Luna * Vulcan * Summanus * Larunda * Terminus *

* Vortumnus *

Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...

* Diana * Lucina Livia statue

Elsewhere, Varro claims Sol Indiges – who had a sacred grove at

Lavinium Lavinium was a port city of Latium, to the south of Rome, midway between the Tiber river at Ostia Antica, Ostia and Antium. The coastline then, as now, was a long strip of beach. Lavinium was on a hill at the southernmost edge of the ''Silva La ...

– as Sabine but at the same time equates him with

. Of those listed, he writes, "several names have their roots in both languages, as trees that grow on a property line creep into both fields. Saturn, for instance, can be said to have another origin here, and so too Diana." Varro makes various claims for Sabine origins throughout his works, some more plausible than others, and his list should not be taken at face value. But the importance of the Sabines in the early cultural formation of Rome is evidenced, for instance, by the bride abduction of the Sabine women by

Romulus Romulus (, ) was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...

's men, and in the Sabine ethnicity of

Numa Pompilius Numa Pompilius (; 753–672 BC; reigned 715–672 BC) was the Roman mythology, legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political ins ...

, second king of Rome, to whom are attributed many of Rome's religious and legal institutions. Varro says that the altars to most of these gods were established at Rome by King Tatius as the result of a vow ('' votum'').

''Indigitamenta''

The ''indigitamenta'' are deities known only or primarily as a name; they may be minor entities, or epithets of major gods. Lists of deities were kept by the

College of Pontiffs The College of Pontiffs (; see ''collegium'') was a body of the ancient Rome, ancient Roman state whose members were the highest-ranking priests of the Religion in ancient Rome, state religion. The college consisted of the ''pontifex maximus'' an ...

to assure that the correct names were invoked for public prayers. The books of the Pontiffs are lost, known only through scattered passages in

. The most extensive lists are provided by the

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical peri ...

who sought systematically to debunk Roman religion while drawing on the theological works of Varro, also surviving only in quoted or referenced fragments. W.H. Roscher collated the standard modern list of ''indigitamenta'', though other scholars may differ with him on some points.

''Di indigetes'' and ''novensiles''

The '' di indigetes'' were thought by Georg Wissowa to be Rome's indigenous deities, in contrast to the ''di novensides'' or ''novensiles'', "newcomer gods". No ancient source, however, poses this dichotomy, which is not generally accepted among scholars of the 21st century. The meaning of the epithet ''indiges'' (singular) has no scholarly consensus, and ''noven'' may mean "nine" ''(novem)'' rather than "new".

Alphabetical list

A

* Abundantia, divine personification of abundance and prosperity. * Acca Larentia, a '' diva'' of complex meaning and origin in whose honor the

Larentalia The Roman festival of Larentalia was held on 23 December but was ordered to be observed twice a year by Augustus; by some supposed to be in honour of the Lares, a kind of domestic ''genii'', or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed the gua ...

was held. * Acis, god of the Acis River in Sicily. * Aerecura, goddess possibly of Celtic origin, associated with the underworld and identified with

Proserpina Proserpina ( ; ) or Proserpine ( ) is an ancient Roman goddess whose iconography, functions and myths are virtually identical to those of Greek Persephone. Proserpina replaced or was combined with the ancient Roman fertility goddess Libera, whos ...

. * Aequitas, divine personification of fairness. * Aesculapius, the Roman equivalent of Asclepius, god of health and medicine. * Aeternitas, goddess and personification of eternity. * Agenoria, goddess and personification of activity. * Aion (Latin spelling Aeon), Hellenistic god of cyclical or unbounded time, related to the concepts of '' aevum'' or '' saeculum'' * Aius Locutius, divine voice that warned the Romans of the imminent Gallic invasion. * Alernus or Elernus (possibly Helernus), an archaic god whose sacred grove ''( lucus)'' was near the

Tiber river The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

. He is named definitively only by

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

. The grove was the birthplace of the nymph Cardea, and despite the obscurity of the god, the state priests still carried out sacred rites ''( sacra)'' there in the time of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

. Alernus may have been a chthonic god, if a black ox was the correct sacrificial offering to him, since dark victims were offered to underworld gods. Dumézil wanted to make him a god of beans. * Angerona, goddess who relieved people from pain and sorrow. * Angitia, goddess associated with snakes and

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

. * Anna Perenna, early goddess of the " circle of the year", her festival was celebrated March 15. * Annona, the divine personification of the grain supply to the city of Rome. * Antevorta, goddess of the future and one of the Camenae; also called Porrima. *

, god of poetry, music, and oracles, and one of the '' Dii Consentes''. * Arimanius, an obscure Mithraic god. * Aura, often plural ''Aurae'', "the Breezes". *

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

, goddess of the dawn. * Averruncus, a god propitiated to avert calamity.

B

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

, god of wine, sensual pleasures, and truth, originally a cult title for the Greek

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...

and identified with the Roman

. * Bellona or Duellona, war goddess. *

Bona Dea Bona Dea (; 'Good Goddess') was a List of Roman deities, goddess in Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion. She was associated with chastity and fertility among married Women in ancient Rome, Roman women, healing, and the protection of t ...

, the "women's goddess" with functions pertaining to fertility, healing, and chastity. * Bonus Eventus, divine personification of "Good Outcome". * Bubona, goddess of cattle.

C

* Caca, an archaic fire goddess and "proto- Vesta"; the sister of Cacus. * Cacus, originally an ancient god of fire, later regarded as a giant. *

Caelus Caelus or Coelus (; ) was a primordial List of Roman deities, god of the sky in Roman mythology and Religion in ancient Rome, theology, Roman art, iconography, and Latin literature, literature (compare 'sky', 'heaven', whence English ''celestia ...

, god of the sky before Jupiter. * Camenae, goddesses with various attributes including fresh water, prophecy, and childbirth. There were four of them: Carmenta, Egeria, Antevorta, and Postvorta. * Cardea, goddess of the hinge ''(

cardo A ''cardo'' (: ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Rome, ancient Roman cities and military castra, camps as an integral component of Urban planning, city planning. The ''cardo maximus'', or most often the ''cardo'', was the main ...

)'', identified by

with Carna (below) * Carmenta, goddess of childbirth and prophecy, and assigned a flamen minor. The leader of the Camenae. * Carmentes, two goddesses of childbirth: Antevorta and Postvorta or Porrima, future and past. * Carna, goddess who preserved the health of the heart and other internal organs. * Ceres, goddess of the harvest and mother of

, and one of the Dii Consentes. The Roman equivalent of Demeter reek goddess * Clementia, goddess of forgiveness and mercy. * Cloacina, goddess who presided over the system of sewers in Rome; identified with Venus. * Concordia, goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. * Consus, chthonic god protecting grain storage. *

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

, Roman god of love. The son of Venus, and equivalent to Greek Eros. * Cura, personification of care and concern who according to a single source created humans from clay. * Cybele, an imported tutelary goddess often identified with Magna Mater

D

* Dea Dia, goddess of growth. * Dea Tacita ("The Silent Goddess"), a goddess of the dead; later equated with the earth goddess Larenta. *Dea Tertiana and Dea Quartana, the sister goddesses of tertian and quartan fevers. Presumably daughters or sisters of Dea Febris. * Decima, minor goddess and one of the Parcae (Roman equivalent of the

Moirai In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Moirai ()often known in English as the Fateswere the personifications of fate, destiny. They were three sisters: Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (mythology), Lachesis (the allotter ...

). The measurer of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was Lachesis. Diana Nemorensis denarius2

* Devera or Deverra, goddess who ruled over the brooms used to purify temples in preparation for various worship services, sacrifices and celebrations; she protected midwives and women in labor. * Diana, goddess of the hunt, the moon, virginity, and childbirth, twin sister of Apollo and one of the Dii Consentes. * Diana Nemorensis, local version of Diana. The Roman equivalent of

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

reek goddess* Discordia, personification of discord and strife. The Roman equivalent of Eris reek goddess* Dius Fidius, god of oaths, associated with

. * Di inferi, deities associated with death and the underworld. * Disciplina, personification of discipline. * Dis Pater or Dispater, god of wealth and the underworld; perhaps a translation of Greek ''Plouton'' (

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

E

* Egeria, water nymph or goddess, later considered one of the Camenae. * Empanda or Panda, a goddess whose temple never closed to those in need. * Epona,

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

goddess of horses and horsemanship, usually assumed to be of Celtic origin.

F

* Falacer, obscure god. He was assigned a minor flamen. * Fama, goddess of fame and rumor. * Fascinus, phallic god who protected from '' invidia'' (envy) and the

evil eye The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glaring, glare, usually inspired by envy. Amulets to Apotropaic, protect against it have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago. It is found in many cultures i ...

. *

Fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

, goddess of prophecy, but perhaps a title of other goddesses such as Maia. *

Faunus In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion and Roman mythology, myth, Faunus was the rustic god of the forest, plains and fields; when he made cattle fertile, he was called Inuus. He came to be equated in literature with the Greek god ...

, god of flocks. * Faustitas, goddess who protected herd and livestock. * Febris, goddess of fevers with the power to cause or prevent fevers and malaria. Accompanied by Dea Tertiana and Dea Quartiana. * Februus, god of Etruscan origin for whom the month of February was named; concerned with purification * Fecunditas, personification of fertility. * Felicitas, personification of good luck and success. * Ferentina, patron goddess of the city Ferentinum, Latium, protector of the Latin commonwealth. * Feronia, goddess concerned with wilderness, plebeians, freedmen, and liberty in a general sense. She was also an Underworld goddess. * Fides, personification of loyalty. *

, goddess of flowers, was assigned a flamen minor. *

Fornax Fornax () is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, partly ringed by the celestial river Eridanus (constellation), Eridanus. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was named by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756. Forna ...

, goddess probably conceived of to explain the Fornacalia, "Oven Festival." * Fontus or Fons, god of wells and springs. *

, goddess of fortune. * Fufluns, god of wine, natural growth and health. He was adopted from Etruscan religion. * Fulgora, personification of lightning. * Furrina, goddess whose functions are mostly unknown, but in archaic times important enough to be assigned a flamen.

G

* Genius, the tutelary spirit or divinity of each individual * Gratiae, Roman term for the Charites or Graces.

H

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

, god of strength, whose worship was derived from the Greek hero

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

but took on a distinctly Roman character. *

Hermaphroditus In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus (; , ) was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably beautiful boy whom the naiad Salmacis attempted to rape and prayed to be united with forever. A god, in answer to her pra ...

, an androgynous Greek god whose mythology was imported into Latin literature. * Honos, a divine personification of

honor Honour ( Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself as a code of conduct, and has various elements such as val ...

. * Hora, the wife of

I

* Indiges, the deified

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

. * Intercidona, minor goddess of childbirth; invoked to keep evil spirits away from the child; symbolised by a cleaver. * Inuus, god of fertility and sexual intercourse, protector of livestock. * Invidia, goddess of envy and wrongdoing.

J

* Janus, double-faced or two-headed god of beginnings and endings and of doors. * Juno, Queen of the gods, goddess of matrimony, and one of the Dii Consentes. Equivalent to Greek

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; ; in Ionic Greek, Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she is queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Oly ...

. *

, King of the gods, god of storms, lightning, sky, and one of the Dii Consentes; was assigned a flamen maior. Equivalent to Greek

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

. * Justitia, goddess of justice. * Juturna, goddess of fountains, wells, and springs. * Juventas, goddess of youth.

L

, household gods. * Latona, goddess of light. * Laverna, patroness of thieves, con men and charlatans. * Lemures, the malevolent dead. * Levana, goddess of the rite through which fathers accepted newborn babies as their own. * Letum, personification of death. *

, a god of male fertility, viniculture and freedom, assimilated to Roman

and Greek

. * Libera,

's female equivalent, assimilated to Roman

and Greek

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...

. * Liberalitas, goddess or personification of generosity. *

Libertas Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the late republic. She sometimes also appeared on coins from the imperial period, such as Galba's "Freedom ...

, goddess or personification of freedom. * Libitina, goddess of death, corpses and funerals. * Lua, goddess to whom soldiers sacrificed captured weapons, probably a consort of Saturn. * Lucina, goddess of childbirth, but often as an aspect of Juno. * Luna, goddess of the moon. * Lupercus, god of

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

s and wolves; as the god of the

Lupercalia Lupercalia, also known as Lupercal, was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as ''dies Februatus'', after the purification instruments ...

, his identity is obscure, but he is sometimes identified with the Greek god Pan. * Lympha, often plural ''lymphae'', a water deity assimilated to the Greek

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

M

* Mana Genita, goddess of infant mortality *

Manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the '' Lares'', '' Lemures'', '' Genii'', and '' Di Penates'' as deities ...

, the souls of the dead who came to be seen as household deities. *

Mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome defined as a state of Abnormality (behavior), abnormally elevated arousal, affect (psychology), affect, and energy level. During a mani ...

, the consort of the Etruscan underworld god Mantus, and perhaps to be identified with the tenebrous '' Mater Larum''; not to be confused with the Greek Maniae. * Mantus, an Etruscan god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. *

, god of war and father of Romulus, the founder of Rome; one of the

assigned a '' flamen maior''; lover of Venus; one of the Dii Consentes. Greek equivalent-Ares. * Mater Matuta, goddess of dawn and childbirth, patroness of mariners. * Meditrina, goddess of healing, introduced to account for the festival of Meditrinalia. * Mefitis or Mephitis, goddess and personification of poisonous gases and volcanic vapours. * Mellona or Mellonia, goddess of bees and bee-keeping. * Mena or Mene, goddess of fertility and menstruation. * Mercury, messenger of the gods and bearer of souls to the underworld, and one of the Dii Consentes. Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes. *

, goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industries and trades, and one of the Dii Consentes. Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena. * Mithras, god worshipped in the Roman empire; popular with soldiers. * Molae, daughters of Mars, probably goddesses of grinding of the grain. *

Moneta In Roman mythology, Moneta (Latin Monēta) was a title given to two separate goddesses: It was the name of the goddess of memory (identified with the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Mnemosyne), and it was an epithet of Juno (mythology), Juno, ca ...

, minor goddess of memory, equivalent to the Greek

Mnemosyne In Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion, Mnemosyne (; , ) is the goddess of memory and the mother of the nine Muses by her nephew Zeus. In the Greek tradition, Mnemosyne is one of the Titans, the twelve divine children of the earth-godde ...

. Also used as an epithet of Juno. * Mors, personification of death and equivalent of the Greek Thanatos. * Morta, minor goddess of death and one of the Parcae (Roman equivalent of the

). The cutter of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was Atropos. * Murcia or Murtia, a little-known goddess who was associated with the myrtle, and in other sources was called a goddess of sloth and laziness (both interpretations arising from false etymologies of her name). Later equated with

in the form of Venus Murcia. * Mutunus Tutunus, a phallic god.

N

* Naenia, goddess of funerary lament. * Nascio, personification of the act of birth. * Necessitas, goddess of destiny, the Roman equivalent of Ananke. * Nemesis, goddess of revenge ( Greek), adopted as an Imperial deity of retribution. *

, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, and one of the Dii Consentes. Greek equivalent is

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

. * Nerio, ancient war goddess and the personification of valor. The consort of Mars. * Neverita, presumed a goddess, and associated with Consus and

in the Etrusco-Roman zodiac of

Martianus Capella Martianus Minneus Felix Capella () was a jurist, polymath and Latin literature, Latin prose writer of late antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education. He was a native ...

but otherwise unknown. * Nixi, also ''di nixi'', ''dii nixi'', or ''Nixae'', goddesses of childbirth. * Nona, minor goddess, one of the Parcae (Roman equivalent of the

). The spinner of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was Clotho. * Nortia a Roman-adopted Etruscan goddess of fate, destiny, and chance from the city of

Volsinii Volsinii or Vulsinii (Etruscan language, Etruscan: Velzna or Velusna; Ancient Greek, Greek: Ouolsinioi, ; ), is the name of two ancient cities of Etruria, one situated on the shore of Lacus Volsiniensis (modern Lago di Bolsena), and the other on ...

, where a nail was driven into a wall of her temple as part a new-year ceremony. * Nox, goddess of night, derived from the Greek Nyx.

O

* Ops or Opis, goddess of resources or plenty. * Orcus, a god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths.

P

* Palatua, obscure goddess who guarded the Palatine Hill. She was assigned a flamen minor. * Pales, deity of shepherds, flocks and livestock. * Panda, see Empanda. * Parcae, the three fates. * Pax, goddess of peace; equivalent of Greek Eirene. Aeneis 3 147

* Penates or Di Penates, household gods. * Picumnus, minor god of fertility, agriculture, matrimony, infants and children. * Picus, Italic woodpecker god with oracular powers. * Pietas, goddess of duty; personification of the Roman virtue pietas. * Pilumnus, minor guardian god, concerned with the protection of infants at birth. *

, Greek ''Plouton'', a name for the ruler of the dead popularized through the mystery religions and

Greek philosophy Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC. Philosophy was used to make sense of the world using reason. It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, epistemology, mathematics, political philosophy, ethics, metaphysic ...

, sometimes used in Latin literature and identified with Dis pater or Orcus. * Pomona, goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards; assigned a flamen minor. * Porrima, goddess of the future. Also called Antevorta. One of the Carmentes and the Camenae. * Portunus, god of keys, doors, and livestock, he was assigned a flamen minor. * Postverta or Prorsa Postverta, goddess of childbirth and the past, one of the two Carmentes (other being Porrima). * Priapus, phallic guardian of gardens, originally Greek. *

, Queen of the Dead and a grain-goddess, the Roman equivalent of the Greek

. *

Providentia In ancient Roman religion, Providentia is a divine personification of the ability to foresee and make provision. She was among the embodiments of Roman virtues, virtues that were part of the Imperial cult (ancient Rome), Imperial cult of ancient Ro ...

, goddess of forethought. * Pudicitia, goddess and personification of chastity, one of the Roman virtues. Her Greek equivalent was Aidôs.

Q

* Querquetulanae, nymphs of the oak. *

, Sabine god identified with Mars; Romulus, the founder of Rome, was deified as Quirinus after his death. Quirinus was a war god and a god of the Roman people and state, and was assigned a flamen maior; he was one of the

gods. * Quiritis, goddess of motherhood. Originally Sabine or pre-Roman, she was later equated with Juno.

R

* Robigo or Robigus, a god or goddess who personified grain disease and protected crops. * Roma, personification of the Roman state. * Rumina, goddess who protected breastfeeding mothers.

S

* Salacia, goddess of seawater, wife of Neptune. * Salus, goddess of the public welfare of the Roman people; came to be equated with the Greek Hygieia. * Sancus, god of loyalty, honesty, and oaths. *

, a titan, god of harvest and agriculture, the father of Jupiter, Neptune, Juno, and Pluto. *

Scotus The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions ...

, god of darkness ( Di inferi); brother of Terra, lover of Nox and opposite

Dis Dis, DIS or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Dis (album), ''Dis'' (album), by Jan Garbarek, 1976 * ''Dís'', a soundtrack album by Jóhann Jóhannsson, 2004 * "Dis", a song by The Gazette from the 2003 album ''Hankou Seimeib ...

. Greek Erebos; deep, shadow and one of the primordial deities. * Securitas, goddess of security, especially the security of the Roman empire. * Senectus, god of old age. His Greek equivalent is Geras. * Silvanus, god of woodlands and forests. * Sol/

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Invincible Sun" or "Unconquered Sun") was the official Solar deity, sun god of the late Roman Empire and a later version of the god Sol (Roman mythology), Sol. The emperor Aurelian revived his cult in 274 AD and promoted Sol Inv ...

, sun god. * Somnus, god of sleep; equates with the Greek

Hypnos In Greek mythology, Hypnos (; Ancient Greek: , 'sleep'), also spelled Hypnus, is the personification of sleep. The Roman equivalent is Somnus. His name is the origin of the word hypnosis. Pausanias (geographer), Pausanias wrote that Hypnos was t ...

. * Soranus, a god later subsumed by

in the form Apollo Soranus. An Underworld god. * Sors, god of luck. * Spes, goddess of hope. * Stata Mater, goddess who protected against fires. Sometimes equated with Vesta. * Sterquilinus ("Manure"), god of fertilizer. Also known as Stercutus, Sterculius, Straculius, Struculius. * Suadela, goddess of persuasion, her Greek equivalent was Peitho. * Summanus, god of nocturnal thunder. * Sulis Minerva, a

conflation Conflation is the merging of two or more sets of information, texts, ideas, or opinions into one, often in error. Conflation is defined as 'fusing blending', but is often used colloquially as 'being equal to' - treating two similar but disparate c ...

of the Celtic goddess Sulis and

T

* Talasius, a god of marriage * Tellumo or Tellurus, male counterpart of Tellus. * Tempestas, a goddess of storms or sudden weather, usually plural as the Tempestates * Terra Mater or Tellus, goddess of the earth and land. The Greek equivalent is Gaea, mother of titans, consort of Caelus (Uranus). * Terminus, the rustic god of boundaries. * Tiberinus, river god; deity of the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

river. * Tibertus, god of the river Anio, a tributary of the Tiber. * Tranquillitas, goddess of peace and tranquility. * Trivia, goddess of crossroads and magic, equated with Hecate.

V

* Vacuna, ancient Sabine goddess of rest after harvest who protected the farmers' sheep; later identified with Nike and worshipped as a war goddess. * Vagitanus, or Vaticanus, opens the newborn's mouth for its first cry. * Vediovus or Veiovis, obscure god, a sort of anti-

, as the meaning of his name suggests. May be a god of the underworld. * Venilia or Venelia, sea goddess, wife of Neptune or Faunus. *

Venti Venti may refer to: * Venti (software), a network storage system * Venti, a character in 2020 video game '' Genshin Impact'' *A coffee cup size at Starbucks *The Roman equivalent of the Greek Anemoi In ancient Greek religion and Greek mytho ...

, the winds, equivalent to the Greek

Anemoi In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, the Anemoi () were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various nature, ...

: North wind Aquilo(n) or Septentrio (Greek Boreas); South wind Auster (Greek Notus); East wind Vulturnus ( Eurus); West wind Favonius ( Zephyrus); Northwest wind Caurus or Corus (see minor winds). *

, goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, and gardens; mother of the founding hero

; one of the Dii Consentes. * Veritas, goddess and personification of the Roman virtue of veritas or truth. * Verminus, god of cattle worms. * Vertumnus, Vortumnus or Vertimnus, god of the seasons, and of gardens and fruit trees. * Vesta, goddess of the hearth, the Roman state, and the sacred fire; one of the Dii Consentes. * Vica Pota, goddess of victory and competitions. * Victoria, goddess of victory. * Viduus, god who separated the soul and body after death. * Virbius, a forest god, the reborn Hippolytus. *

Virtus () was a specific virtue in ancient Rome that carried connotations of valor, masculinity, excellence, courage, character, and worth, all perceived as masculine strengths. It was thus a frequently stated virtue of Roman emperors, and was perso ...

, god or goddess of military strength, personification of the Roman virtue of

virtus () was a specific virtue in ancient Rome that carried connotations of valor, masculinity, excellence, courage, character, and worth, all perceived as masculine strengths. It was thus a frequently stated virtue of Roman emperors, and was perso ...

. * Volturnus, god of water, was assigned a flamen minor. Not to be confused with Vulturnus. * Voluptas, goddess of pleasure. * Vulcan, god of the forge, fire, and blacksmiths, husband to Venus, and one of the Dii Consentes, was assigned a flamen minor.

Titles and honorifics

Certain honorifics and titles could be shared by different gods, divine

personification Personification is the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person, often as an embodiment or incarnation. In the arts, many things are commonly personified, including: places, especially cities, National personification, countries, an ...

s, demi-gods and '' divi'' (deified mortals).

''Augustus'' and ''Augusta''

'', "the elevated or august one" (

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some beh ...

form) is an honorific and title awarded to Octavian in recognition of his unique status, the extraordinary range of his powers, and the apparent divine approval of his

principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...

. After his death and deification, the title was awarded to each of his successors. It also became a near ubiquitous title or honour for various minor local deities, including the '' Lares Augusti'' of local communities, and obscure provincial deities such as the North African ''Marazgu Augustus''. This extension of an Imperial honorific to major and minor deities of Rome and her provinces is considered a ground-level feature of

Imperial cult An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title) are worshipped as demigods or deities. "Cult (religious practice), Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejor ...

. '' Augusta'', the feminine form, is an honorific and title associated with the development and dissemination of Imperial cult as applied to Roman Empresses, whether living, deceased or deified as ''divae''. The first Augusta was

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC AD 29) was List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption ...

, wife of Octavian, and the title is then shared by various state goddesses including

, Ceres, Juno,

, and Ops; by many minor or local goddesses; and by the female personifications of Imperial virtues such as Pax and Victoria.

''Bonus'' and ''Bona''

The

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

''Bonus'', "the Good," is used in Imperial ideology with abstract deities such as ''Bona Fortuna'' ("Good Fortune"), ''Bona Mens'' ("Good Thinking" or "Sound Mind"), and '' Bona Spes'' ("Valid Hope," perhaps to be translated as "Optimism"). During the Republic, the epithet may be most prominent with

, "the Good Goddess" whose rites were celebrated by women. Bonus Eventus, "Good Outcome", was one of Varro's twelve agricultural deities, and later represented success in general. Isis - Vienna

''Caelestis''

From the middle Imperial period, the title ''Caelestis'', "Heavenly" or "Celestial" is attached to several goddesses embodying aspects of a single, supreme Heavenly Goddess. The ''Dea Caelestis'' was identified with the constellation Virgo ("The Virgin"), who holds the divine balance of justice. In the ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...

'' of

Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...

, the protagonist Lucius prays to the Hellenistic Egyptian goddess

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

as ''Regina Caeli'', "

Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven () is a title given by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, to Mary, mother of Jesus, and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism and Lutheranism. The title has long been a tradition, included in prayers and devotional literat ...

", who is said to manifest also as Ceres, "the original nurturing parent"; Heavenly Venus ''(Venus Caelestis)''; the "sister of Phoebus", that is, Diana or

as she is worshipped at Ephesus; or

as the triple goddess of the underworld. Juno Caelestis was the Romanised form of the Carthaginian

Tanit Tanit or Tinnit (Punic language, Punic: 𐤕𐤍𐤕 ''Tīnnīt'' (JStor)) was a chief deity of Ancient Carthage; she derives from a local Berber deity and the consort of Baal Hammon. As Ammon is a local Libyan deity, so is Tannit, who represents ...

. Grammatically, the form ''Caelestis'' can also be a masculine word, but the equivalent function for a male deity is usually expressed through syncretization with

, as in ''Caelus Aeternus Iuppiter,'' "Jupiter the Eternal Sky."

''Invictus''

''Invictus'' ("Unconquered, Invincible") was in use as a divine epithet by the early 3rd century BC. In the Imperial period, it expressed the invincibility of deities embraced officially, such as Jupiter, Mars,

, and Sol. On coins, calendars, and other inscriptions, Mercury, Saturn, Silvanus, Fons,

Serapis Serapis or Sarapis is a Egyptian Greeks, Graeco-Egyptian god. A Religious syncretism, syncretic deity derived from the worship of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis (deity), Apis, Serapis was extensively popularized in the third century BC on the ord ...

, Sabazius, Apollo, and the Genius are also found as ''Invictus.'' Cicero considers it a normal epithet for Jupiter, in regard to whom it is probably a synonym for ''Omnipotens''. It is also used in the

Mithraic mysteries Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion focused on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity ('' yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras was ...

''Mater'' and ''Pater''

''Mater'' ("Mother") was an honorific that respected a goddess's maternal authority and functions, and not necessarily "motherhood" per se. Early examples included Terra Mater (Mother Earth) and the Mater Larum (Mother of the

). Vesta, a goddess of chastity usually conceived of as a virgin, was honored as ''Mater''. A goddess known as Stata Mater was a compital deity credited with preventing fires in the city. From the middle Imperial era, the reigning Empress becomes ''Mater castrorum et senatus et patriae'', the symbolic Mother of military camps, the

senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and the fatherland. The Gallic and Germanic cavalry ''(

auxilia The (; ) were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen Roman legion, legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC. By the 2nd century, the contained the same number of infantry as the ...

)'' of the Roman Imperial army regularly set up altars to the "Mothers of the Field" (''Campestres'', from ''campus'', "field," with the title ''Matres'' or ''Matronae''). See also Magna Mater (Great Mother) following. Gods were called ''Pater'' ("Father") to signify their preeminence and paternal care, and the filial respect owed to them. ''Pater'' was found as an epithet of

, and

, among others.

Magna Mater

"The Great Mother" was a title given to Cybele in her Roman cult. Some Roman literary sources accord the same title to Maia and other goddesses. Macrobius, ''Saturnalia'' 1.12.16–33. Cited in H.H.J. Brouwer, ''Bona Dea: The Sources and a Description of the Cult'' (Brill, 1989), pp. 240, 241.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Deities Mythology-related lists Lists of deities

Deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...